Local election coalitions: Which councils could be up for grabs?

Local election coalitions are likely to decide who runs many of South Africa’s towns and cities, long after the last ballot is counted.

In councils where no party wins more than half the seats, the final decision will be made in negotiating rooms.

Around 14.5 million people voted in the local government elections, including about 1.5 million special votes.

By law, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) must declare the final results within seven days of election day.

Where the count stands

By 10:30 on Saturday, 7 November, the IEC had finalised 98% of results nationally.

Results were complete in 191 of the 213 local and metropolitan municipalities, with most of the outstanding results in the metros.

All results remain provisional until the IEC formally declares them.

Why local election coalitions matter

A hung council is one where no single party wins more than half the seats.

The parties must then form a coalition, or work together on a vote-by-vote basis, to elect a speaker and a mayor.

The 2021 elections produced a record 66 hung councils out of 213.

That was more than double the 27 hung councils after the 2016 elections.

The latest figure for this 2026 elections stands at 122 hung councils.

The metros that could have hung councils

The stakes are highest in the eight metros, which together account for about 40% of South Africa’s 29.2 million registered voters.

Nelson Mandela Bay is the first metro with provisional seat results.

The DA won 53 of the council’s 120 seats, eight short of a majority.

The ANC has 32 seats and the EFF seven, with 18 parties represented.

The DA has ruled out working with the EFF and the MK Party, while the EFF says it is open to talks with all parties.

A council meeting is reportedly planned for mid-November, depending on the outcome of negotiations, according to provisional results.

What happens next for local election coalitions

Under the Municipal Structures Act, each new council must hold its first meeting within 14 days of the IEC declaring the results.

At that meeting, councillors elect a speaker, who then oversees the election of a mayor.

That gives parties roughly two weeks to strike deals.

If a council fails to constitute itself, it can be dissolved and fresh elections held within 90 days.

A Coalitions Bill, aimed at making coalition governments more stable, was tabled in Parliament in August.

But Parliament has confirmed it will not be finalised in time for these elections, so the existing rules, including the 14-day deadline, still apply.

What it means for residents

Coalition talks are not just politics.

Unstable coalitions after 2016 and 2021 led to deadlocks in some councils, making it harder to pass budgets and appoint officials.

That can slow down basic services such as water, electricity and refuse removal.

Residents can follow official results as they are declared on the IEC’s website.